


Chai means tea, my love

by FandomAuthor



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Jin joins the Gaang (Avatar), Rare Pairings
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-18
Updated: 2020-09-28
Packaged: 2021-03-06 04:54:12
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 14
Words: 21,340
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25767760
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FandomAuthor/pseuds/FandomAuthor
Summary: A fateful encounter of an Earth Kingdom girl and the banished prince of the Fire Nation and the ensuing relationship between the two.Instead of only one date, Jin ends up sticking around and finding a place within the gaang.
Relationships: Jin & Zuko (Avatar), Jin/Zuko (Avatar)
Comments: 72
Kudos: 282





	1. A fateful encounter

The first time that Jin had spotted Lee in the tea shop, she thought her heart had stopped. She had caught a glimpse of him from the window and entered immediately to get a better look. He had a burn scar that marred his face that was no doubt caused by a firebender. It looked painful and she couldn’t imagine what it would have been like to have experienced such a horrific event. The burn was almost too precise, having been affected to only one side of his face, as if the firebender who did it knew how to inflict the most pain with the least amount of surface area. Without thinking, she entered the tea shop and sat down. She didn’t have the money to afford the luxury of tea, but she figured just this once it would be okay.

At first, Jin tried to ignore the young waiter, but she couldn’t help by watch him. Despite what some might see as a disgusting blemish, Jin knew that it told a story of survival, resilience, and growth. He was handsome because of it, not in the traditional sense of the word, but in that he had overcome the burn and its ensuing disability. He must have been at least partially, if not entirely, visually impaired in that eye, but the waiter, whom Jin had overheard his name as Lee, did not seem affected by it. Lee moved with confidence, like there was more to his story than what met the eye.

Jin wanted to know more about him. What had brought him to Ba Sing Se? How had he been burned? How did he end up a waiter at a tea shop when he clearly did not have the patience to work in customer service? These questions and more meant more visits to the tea shop. Despite having limited money, Jin started to frequent the tea shop to see him and his uncle Mushi, who was a wonderful man. Nervous to confront Lee directly, Jin settled for watching him work until she had mustered the confidence to approach him. Regardless of her crush on Lee, the tea made by Mushi reminded her of her mother’s tea. Tea made right and made with love and understanding brought back memories of a better time, a time when Jin didn’t have to worry about the harsh realities of living in the lower ring of Ba Sing Se or the desperate search for a job to make ends meet.

Jin was running out of money for rent and she did not know what she would do when she was finally evicted from the dingy apartment. Some might have argued that she should have saved the small copper pieces to pay for rent instead of buying a cup of tea every other day, but she knew that even if she had, she still wouldn’t have had enough. Jin was worried, but she had been homeless before. This wasn’t the first time she had run out of money; she would get through it—at least she hoped. So Jin went to the tea shop, any day that she could, choosing a different flavor and exploring every option.

After going consistently to the tea shop, Jin was beyond frustrated that she missed out on the scene where some punk refugee accused Lee of being a firebender and they had a sword duel where Lee totally kicked the other guy’s ass (or so Jin was told by other patrons). Maybe one day, she would hear the story from Lee himself.

Meanwhile, Lee, or as he was really named—Zuko, was beginning to notice Jin, though not in the same manner that she noticed him. At first, he thought that she just must really like her tea, much like his uncle, but then he began to realize that she would stare at him occasionally. After a week, he decided to go to his uncle with this issue.

“Uncle, we have a problem,” Zuko said as Uncle Iroh descended from the ladder that lead to storage. “One of the customers is on to us.” He glanced over to where Jin was sitting to see if she was looking their direction. “Don’t look now, but there is a girl over there at the corner table. She knows we’re Fire Nation.”

Uncle “Mushi” Iroh looked over to where Jin was sitting. At the moment, she was peacefully sipping her tea. Zuko yanked on his uncle’s elbow. “Didn’t I say don’t look?”

Iroh glanced over to the girl again, recognizing her as a regular. “You’re right, Zuko. I’ve seen that girl in here quite a lot. Seems to me she has quite a little crush on you.”

A faint blush made its way across Zuko’s cheeks. “What!?” Zuko looked more bewildered than anything, his confusion about the idea that a girl could like him overcoming his embarrassment about Iroh’s comment. Zuko didn’t have much time to recover when a few moments later, Jin approached the counter to pay.

Jin smiled at him. “Thank you for the tea,” she paused, then preceded to ask a question that she already knew the answer too. “What’s your name?”

Iroh grinned at the question, his intuition proving correct, and nudged his nephew gently.

“My name is Lee.” Gesturing to Iroh, he added, “my uncle and I just moved here.”

Jin smiled again; she almost said that she knew that already, but she didn’t want Lee to think of her as some stalker. “Nice to meet you officially, Lee. My name’s Jin.” Jin took a small breath and gathered her courage for a now-or-never request. “I…um…I was wondering if you would like to go out sometime…with me?”

Lee froze for a second, unable to process her forward question. Before his nephew could muster a response, Uncle Mushi interjected, “He’d love to!”

Jin withheld the urge to jump up and down excitedly and settled for a large grin, partly one of excitement and partly of relief that she wasn’t rejected. If she hadn’t noticed how hard her heart was pounding, she certainly noticed now. “Great! I’ll meet you in front of the shop at sundown.” Lee nodded silently and Jin exited the shop with an extra pep in her step.

She headed back to her dingy apartment, wondering just what in the world she would wear. She looked at the few clothes that she had in her small chest. She pulled out one tunic that used to be her grandfather’s. She loved the color of it and it was the nicest piece that she owned, but she knew that she could never wear it outside. She folded it again and placed in back in the chest. The green dress that she had on would have to do. Jin undid the sloppy twin braids she had in and redid her hair into a single braid down the middle. She did the best job she could manage without a mirror. Since Jin couldn’t afford any makeup, she would have to go all natural and hope that Lee liked her regardless of her flaws. _Mother used to say I was pretty,_ Jin thought to boost her confidence.


	2. the Firelight Fountain

A few hours later, Jin stood outside the tea shop. Her nerves were beginning to overwhelm her excitement as she started to run through impossible scenarios. Luckily, she didn’t have to wait long before Lee came out. He was handsome in his outfit; the dark colors looked good on him. Unlike before he didn’t have an apron on and his short shaggy hair had been slicked back. Lee fit right in with Earth Kingdom fashion.

“Hey,” Jin said as soon as she saw him exiting. She had to stop herself from laughing at how his hair was slicked back. “Well, look at you!” Without thinking, Jin reached her hand out and ruffled his hair to mess it up so it didn’t look as dumb. “You look, uh, nice, handsome actually,” Jin blushed. Lee had gotten dressed up for her. It made her heart swell.

Lee grabbed her hand and pulled it down. “It took my uncle ten minutes to do my hair,” he pouted, too distracted by Jin messing up his hair to realized that she had complimented him. He didn’t immediately let go of her hand either.

Jin giggled awkwardly when Lee realized he was still holding her hand. He let go out of it and looked away embarrassed. Not one to shy away once she felt confident, Jin took ahold of Lee’s arm and pulled him along. Lee glanced back to the tea shop one more, back towards his uncle, and wondered if this was a good idea. He looked back to Jin, who was happily smiling like she didn’t have a care in the world. She was pretty in a down-to-earth, natural sort of way. Though she had the same dress on from earlier, she had changed the braids in her hair. It looked nice. A part of him felt jealous of her. She didn’t know how horrible the world truly was, but _maybe_ , he thought, _that wasn’t such a bad thing_. If he could choose, would he want to know all that he did?

After a short walk, they reached the busy town square of the lower ring. Jin led Lee into a crowded restaurant and mentioned her reservation. Lee looked at her, unaware that she had come here earlier to request a table. He smiled, just barely, at the idea of her going out of her way for him. They sat down and quickly ordered.

For a couple of minutes, they sat together in painfully awkward silence. Jin was the first to speak, unable to bear the silence any longer. “So, um, how do you like the city so far?” Jin took a sip of the tea she had order immediately after in order to seem less awkward. She tried not to grimace at its taste; it was no where as good as one brewed by Mushi.

Lee poked at one of his meatballs with his chopsticks, not looking at Jin. He didn’t seem very happy. “It’s okay.”

Jin took another sip of her tea again. She knew that he was lying, partially from the way he avoided her gaze, but she didn’t want to press him any further. Whatever led Lee to Ba Sing Se could not have been an easy journey. “I’ve lived here my whole life. I’ve never seen beyond the walls,” Jin admitted.

“You haven’t?”

Jin shrugged. “I’ve never had the chance. My parents, they, uh, are gone and I—” Jin stopped herself, not wanting to tell Lee on their first date that she was more than just poor. She didn’t want him to pity her.

“Oh, uh,” Lee didn’t know how to respond. He knew what it was like to lose a parent and he wasn’t sure what to make his relationship with his father.

Changing the subject to continue the conversation, Jin asked instead, “What do you like to do for fun?”

“Nothing,” Lee responded. _Wow, he sure does not say much,_ Jin thought.

Before Jin could tell him what her hobbies were, the waiter walked up to their table so Jin took the opportunity to take another sip of her tea before it got cold. Sure, it was kind of gross, but she paid for it so she was going to drink it all. Addressing Lee, the waiter asked, “Excuse me, sir. Would you and your girlfriend care for dessert?”

Jin choked on her sip of tea, coughed, then preceded to take a large bite of her food to avoid her embarrassment.

“She is not my girlfriend!” Lee exclaimed in an assertive tone, pounding his one first into the table. The rest of the restaurant seemingly fell silent as everyone’s attention turned to Lee. The waiter simply nodded and walked away. Lee laced his fingers together in his lap and took another breath to compose himself. He looked over to Jin to see her slurping down a large bite of noodles. There was a distinct blush on her face and she was clearly trying to distract herself from her embarrassment. _Did my outburst cause that?_ This was only their first date and he had already messed it up. Lee tried to fix it by commenting, “You have, uh, quite the appetite for a girl.”

Jin finished her bite. “Oh, um…thanks?” She dabbed her mouth with a napkin, deciding to try again with a different question. “So, Lee, where were you and your uncle living before you came here?”

“Umm…we’ve been traveling around for a long time.” _A half truth,_ Zuko thought, _should work._

Now it was Jin’s turn to be jealous about her date. She had long dreamed of embracing a nomadic lifestyle. It was, though, only a dream. She figured she would live and die with in the lower ring of Ba Sing Se. “Why were you traveling so much?”

“We were—” Lee hesitated, he hadn’t thought of a cover story about why they were traveling, “—uh, part of this traveling circus.”

 _Another lie, huh,_ Jin noted. Not wanted to make Lee feel uncomfortable about lying, she played along with his fib. “Really? What did you do?” Jin laughed. Even thought he was awkward, he looked really cute when he was struggling to maintain his cover. “Wait, let me guess!” Jin thought for a moment and then pointed jokingly at him. “You juggled!”

Lee crossed his arms and tried his best not to fully scowl. Jin laughed at his annoyed expression. “Yes, I juggled,” Lee lied.

“I’ve always wanted to learn how to juggle,” Jin fibbed in order to see what Lee would do next. She held out some small objects that she procured from the table. “Can you show me something?”

Lee looked momentarily panicked, maybe even worried, but he still took the objects from her. Doing his best, he threw them one by one into the air. Lacking the skill to juggle, he didn’t know how to catch them and keep them aloft. As they came crashing down, one of them hit him on the head, smashing into smaller pieces. Jin grimaced as it happened, feeling bad that he might have hurt himself. “I haven’t practiced in while,” Lee said as an excused.

“That’s okay,” Jin said as she brushed some of the small pieces out of his hair. “Let me try.” Taking the objects back, minus the one that broke, she effortless began to juggle the objects as though the air was on her side, guiding them around in a neat circle. Jin smiled as Lee’s face dropped in disbelief.

“You juggle?” Lee facepalmed, realizing that he had been played.

“Only on side. Don’t feel bad. I’m sure your juggling skills will come back you practice.” She caught all the items and set them back down on the table.

After finishing their meals, Jin smiled at Lee again. “Hey, I want to show you one of my favorite places in the city.”

It was a relatively short walk from the restaurant and Jin lead the way once again. “I’m so excited for you to see the Firelight Fountain. The fire from the lamps make the water sparkle and reflect in the pool in the most beautiful way.” Jin held onto Lee’s arm, truly happy for the first time in a long time. “I’ve been everywhere in the lower ring and this is one of most beautiful places, especially at night.”

The open area featured a large fountain with several posts with candle lanterns surrounding it in a beautiful circle. Unfortunately, none of the candles were lit.

Jin felt crestfallen and she didn’t even try to hide her disappointment. “I can’t believe it. Of all nights, we came all this way and they aren’t lit. I’m sorry, Lee.” She did her best to control her voice so she didn’t sound like she was crying. “I dragged you out here for nothing.”

Lee looked at Jin and then to the fountain. Up until they got there, she was so happy that he almost felt happy too. For some unexplainable reason, he wanted to see her smile again. “Close your eyes and don’t peek.”

Doing what Lee asked, Jin closed her eyes and covered them with her hands. Lee took a couple of steps forward, glancing one last time around the area to make sure it was empty of any peeping eyes. Taking a few breathes to control his inner fire, he made his choice, one that he hoped he wouldn’t regret. Lee closed his eyes, brought his hands up, and then opened his eyes again to firebend. Using his pointer and middle finger on hand, he shot small bursts of flame in all directions at the candles to light them. Lee made sure to be very precise and controlled with his firebending. Once he had finished lighting all of the candles, Lee stood straight and turned back to Jin. She still had her palms covering her eyes. She wondered what he was doing, but she trusted him.

“Okay, now you can look.”

Jin removed her hands from her eyes. “Oh, wow.” The entire fountain before her had transformed. Somehow, all the candles had been lit. Jin looked over at Lee, amazed. She watched the candles’ reflection flicker on the water. She closed the distance between them, smiling once again. Her crestfallen heart swelled. If she hadn’t fallen in love Lee before, that was moment when he first won her heart. “What happened? How did they light?” Jin meet Lee’s gaze. “What did you do?”

Lee smiled sheepishly and looked away. They both turned to look at the fountain, admiring the flickering flames. It was a beautiful as the first time she saw the fountain, maybe even more beautiful since Lee had lit the candles for her. It was his secret as to how he did it. Jin nervously brushed her hand over her braid. Turning to face him, she gently took his hand in her and gave it small squeeze.

Slowly and full of hesitation, Jin began to lean in for a kiss. Her heart hadn’t been happier. If anyone would be her first kiss, she wanted it to be Lee’s.

Suddenly, Lee drew a piece of paper of his pocket and held it between their lips. He shifted nervously. “I’ve brought you something,” he offered nervously. “It’s a coupon for free cup of tea.”

Jin’s surprise at Lee’s interruption turned quickly into relief. At first, she thought that he didn’t want to kiss her, but it turned out that he was just too awkward. “Lee, this is so sweet.”

Lee took a few steps back to make a little distance and rubbed the back of his head. “Don’t thank me—it was my uncle’s idea. He thinks you’re our most valuable customer.”

“Your uncle is good teacher.” Jin took a step forward towards Lee to close the distance that he had made. “I have something for you too. Now it’s your turn to close your eyes.”

As Lee closed his eyes, Jin mustered the courage, leaned in once again, and kissed him quickly before pulling back from the nerves. She hoped that wasn’t too forward for him. Immediately, Lee returned the kiss, a little bit harder and a little bit deeper than before. Just as suddenly, Lee basically jumped back from her. He stood idle for a second, overwhelmed by his feelings. Jin’s grey eyes were sincere and full of what could only be called love. _Did she actually like him?_ The thought made him nervous. He had done nothing but lie to her. He couldn’t accept her love, not like this. Without a word, he turned away from her and began to walk away.

“What’s wrong?” Jin felt her voice crack. _Did I do something wrong?_ She wasn’t ready for the night to be over just yet.

Lee stopped and looked back at her. His eyes held a sorrow that Jin wanted to understand. “It’s complicated. I have to go.”

Before Jin could respond, Lee hurried away. Jin watched, standing downcast at the fountain. She wanted him to explain why it was complicated instead of running away. He had to like her. _Why else would he kiss me?_ She smiled slowly to herself after a moment and put her hand to her lips. He kissed her back. That meant something. Tomorrow, she decided that she would go back to the tea shop and ask him to explain.

After leaving his date alone at the Firelight Fountain, Lee returned to his apartment near the Pao Family Tea House. For the first time in a long time, he had experienced something that a normal teen would have been excited for. He, though, was not a normal teen. While he mostly felt tired, there was a part of him that was happy. Before he had barely even thought about love and finding it, too consumed by his quest the avatar. _Was it okay?_ he wondered. He wasn’t sure if he deserved to be happy when he had failed his quest. He had no honor; how could he have love?

Uncle Iroh stayed up, waiting for his nephew to return. The door opened shortly before midnight and Zuko walked inside; he didn’t say a word.

“How was your night, Prince Zuko?”

Zuko crossed the room and slammed the doors shut behind him without answering the question. Iroh stared at the doors unsure of what to make of Zuko’s reaction. Not one to press, Iroh returned to his work. After a moment, the doors clicked open and Zuko peeked out of the crack. “It was nice,” he mumbled before shutting the doors again. Iroh smiled, happy to hear that Zuko had a good time, and resumed his work once more.


	3. the trials of the Lower Ring

Jin was slow to return to her cramped home, unwilling to end such a fun night, even if it had ended not like she had planned. _Why did he kiss me and run?_ The question stumped Jin and she had no answer. If he was worried about keeping his secret, then why did he light the candles for her? _A firebender in Ba Sing Se?_ Jin shook her head. Lee was no more an oddity than she was—minus the firebending part.

When she came up to her apartment, her landlord was outside with a bottle in hand. Even from a few feet away, she could smell the liquor on him. “Excuse me,” she said quietly as she tried to go around him. She hated whenever she returned when he was drunk.

“Wher-do ya think ya gonn’?” He asked with slurred words, grabbing ahold of her left arm and wrenched her towards him.

“Let go of me!” Jin yanked her arm out of his grasp and stumbled away from him. “Leave me alone!”

“Alone?” He repeated as if he didn’t know the meaning of word. “Be here with-me.”

“No,” Jin refused and continued to try to move past him.

“Then give me your rent money,” he said with sudden clarity, blocking her path.

Jin stopped, her chest tightening with fear for the first time since she saw him. “Right now?”

Her landlord smiled cruelly as if he knew he had her trapped.

“I don’t—I can’t pay right now.”

“Oh? But it’s due tomorrow. What will you do?” When Jin said nothing, he demanded. “I want it now.”

Jin figured it would be a problem for tomorrow’s Jin when she had started her date with Lee. Now, it was a problem for current Jin. She bit her tongue to prevent herself from swearing. “I don’t have it.” Jin sidestepped him and tried to enter the building again.

“No pay, no room.” Her landlord leaned towards him in a manner that indicated an ulterior motive. “Unless?”

“Absolutely no.” Jin shoved him backwards at the same time a strong gust sent him back-peddling and onto his ass. “I’ll leave tonight,” she said firmly, even though she knew it was in her rights to stay one more night. She stormed upstairs to her room. How could today go from being one of the best days of her life to this?

Inside the room, she wasted no time with packing. She pulled out her small ‘treasure’ chest from its hiding place beneath the floorboards and her grandfather’s staff that was next to it. Attaching a strap to the clothe-wrapped staff, Jin slung it across her back, stood up, and picked up her chest. A part of her was glad to be leaving the place behind. It was a dump and as she had just experience yet again, the landlord was a disgusting piece of shit. Unfortunately, she couldn’t deny the rent price was low and that it made life easier for her.

Jin left quickly and quietly before the landlord could notice her again. She set off to scour the lower ring for somewhere to stay that didn’t require pre-pay on the rent. It was already late and many places had long since closed their offices for the night. Jin didn’t give up hope; she kept looking and looking with no luck. Eventually, she found a quiet alley and curled up, her arms wrapped around her possessions. She closed eyes to a fitful sleep. The next day was the same desperate search. Jin spent the next couple of days finding odd jobs trying to procure enough money for rent while simultaneously searching for a new room to rent.

Before she knew it, it had almost been a week since she had last visited the Pao Family Tea House. _What did Lee think about my disappearance?_ Jin’s chest tightened at the thought. She had been so busy with being homeless she had forgotten about Lee. Still toting all of her belongings, she headed straight for the tea shop. Meekly and with her head down, she entered the shop and headed to the counter. She wanted to clarify things and make sure he didn’t hate her for avoiding him. Lee was fortunately working the register when she approached. Uncle Mushi was standing right behind him.

When Lee saw Jin for the first time since their date, his heart felt like it stopped. Her reappearance surprised him. After all, he bailed at the last minute on their date without an explanation. He figured that when she hadn’t returned the next day, that she didn’t want to see him again. But there she was, standing right in front of him — except she looked miserable. Her hair was in a sloppy bun and dirt cover her face and clothes. She had dark circles under her eyes, indicating a lack of sleep. Her usual bright smile was missing. Something was wrong. Lee wanted to know why.

“Jin! What happened? Are you alright?” Lee asked concerned.

She shook her head and gave him a bittersweet smile. She had told herself that she wouldn’t cry in front of him. Avoiding his question, Jin responded, “I was wondering if the—” Jin paused as her chest tightened and her voice wavered. “—the coupon for the free tea was still valid?”

Lee didn’t know what to say. He looked to his uncle for guidance. Mushi smiled kindly. “Oh course, dear. Here.” Mushi guided her to a table where she sat down. “What kind would you like?”

“Any.” Jin was so exhausted, she didn’t have the energy to care. Her eyes lacked their usual light and she seemed so downtrodden since the last time he had seen her.

Grabbing a fresh pot of Jasmine tea, Mushi brought over two cups and sat down across from Jin. Her meager belongings were places off to the side of the table. “Now, would you like to share what is wrong?”

Jin was hesitant. Lee stood awkwardly by the counter a few feet away. She began quietly, ashamed by her circumstance. “I couldn’t pay my rent. I’ve been on the street since our date…that’s why I didn’t come back earlier.” Jin looked over to Lee, sorrow turning into tears in her eyes. “I hope you didn’t get the wrong idea. I had the best time of my life with you that day. I’m sorry.”

Lee found himself moving towards her, compelled by feelings he didn’t quite understand. “You’ve been homeless?” He sounded angry. Jin flinched and looked down. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

Jin looked down at her cup of tea, ashamed and afraid to look him in the eyes. “I didn’t want to burden you,” she mumbled quietly. For the first time since she had become homeless, she buried her face in her hands and let herself cry. Lee bite his tongue to prevent himself from yelling. He turned away from her and took a deep breath. When did he get so attached to her? It was only been one date…and the several days before watching her in the tea shop.

“Oh, my dear. We would have helped,” Mushi said softly. “Where are you at now?”

Jin looked up and shook her head. “Here?” she answered and gestured to all of her stuff. “This is all I have.”

“All you have?” Lee repeated, his voice cracking with frustration and pain. “Then stay.”

“What?” Both Mushi and Jin looked him, surprised by the offer.

Lee didn’t realize what he had said until it was too late. _What was that?_ Lee wanted to smack his forehead. What had possessed to him say that? He was the prince of the Fire Nation and she was…she was in need. For the first time in a long time, Zuko had something that he wanted to protect, whether he understood why.

“Oh, Lee! That is a wonderful idea!” Mushi chimed in immediately. “We have a bit of space in the apartment where you could stay.”

“I couldn’t possibly impose on you,” Jin protested, shaking her head. “I’m sure that I’ll somewhere—”

“Nonsense!” Mushi interrupted firmly in a tone that parent would use on their child. “You can stay with us until you do. Lee, show Jin to where you can stay. I’m sure you want to wash up.”

Jin knew better than to argue. She wiped her tears and stood up. Bowing to them both, she told them “Thank you.” She followed Lee across the street to the apartment complex where they were staying. The apartment was much bigger than her small single room. Jin wanted to fall asleep right then and there, she was so tired.

“Uh, here, let me.” Lee went to take the chest from Jin, but she pulled away. It was her whole life that she was carrying in her hands; she couldn’t help but be protective of it.

“I got it. Just let me know where to put it.”

Lee pointed to the back part of the second room and Jin went to set it down. She leaned her grandfather’s staff right up next to it. “I really appreciate this.”

Lee shifted his weight between his two feet. He wasn’t sure what to say next. “You’re welcome?” The two fell into another awkward silence as Jin made a little space for herself. As much as Jin wanted to fall asleep, she knew that she should bathe before using any of Lee or Mushi’s bedding.


	4. the ties that bind

After excusing herself to go to the nearest bathhouse, both Jin and Lee processed the day’s events separately. Jin felt like a weight had been lifted off of her shoulders. She had somewhere to sleep, even if it meant only a couple of days. The streets of Ba Sing Se’s lower ring was not a welcoming place for anyone, let alone one teenaged girl. She wanted to cry again, though for entirely different reason. Lee was concerned for her—he had offered her a place to stay! _That means something, right?_ Jin thought, adding another reason to the list why she liked Lee.

On the other hand, Lee didn’t know where his head—or his heart—was. He messed up multiple orders and customers were getting annoyed when they were served the wrong cup of tea. His uncle had to put him behind the register so he wouldn’t get in anymore trouble. _What is happening to me?_ Zuko wondered. It had been one date and suddenly he wasn’t acting himself anymore. Just who was this Earth Kingdom girl?

Her grey eyes were full of resolve, even when she had been beaten by homelessness. For someone who had lost his honor and had spent the last three years of his life on a fruitless quest, Jin was a spark of light. She had an unexplainable air that he was drawn to. He wanted to know more about her. For someone like Zuko, who had been fueled by anger for so long, other emotions like love were unfamiliar and he didn’t understand them. He didn’t understand how she could make him feel any time of way, but he liked it. He liked that she would light up when he would pay attention to her. He liked that she gotten so excited at the Firelight Fountain. Was that enough to call it love?

Jin returned from the bath house a little while later. Her brown hair was down and it was longer than Lee had expected. She was beautiful in an effortless way, though her clothes were plain. Besides her quirky personality, it was her smile and kind eyes that made Lee’s heart do a small panic dance. She was a far cry from any Fire Nation nobility, but perhaps that what he needed. Something that didn’t remind him of a life that he didn’t have and didn’t deserve. Jin offered him something unexpected— happiness.

Before they knew it, a week had passed since Jin have moved in. As each day past, she spent less and less time searching for a new place to stay and more and more in the tea shop. Officially she had begun to work for the tea shop two days ago. The Pao Family Tea Shop got busier and busier with each passing day as more people discovered Iroh’s brewing skills. Enough with Jin as additional wait staff, it was a lot of work.

During their shifts together, Lee and Jin began to dance circles around each other, each having different reasons to be hesitant. Neither of them had been in a relationship before and both had had a hard upbringing that had created baggage they both unknowingly carried. Both were also scared, whether they admitted to themselves or not, about messing it up and so they took it slow.

Their second date occurred when it was the two of them left to clean the tea shop. Their third date began as an errand run for Uncle Mushi. Mushi had asked the two of them to pick up some honey and other items for the tea shop. Together the two headed out to the market.

“Is this all Uncle wants?” Jin asked, holding up the piece of paper with the list written on it for Lee to look at.

Lee nodded. “It shouldn’t take long.”

“Unless…”

“Unless what?”

“We take a detour!” Jin said with a grin. “You haven’t seen a lot of the city yet, right? Let me show you around.”

For a moment, Lee looked like he was going to say no before he agreed. “Okay, but we can’t take too long. Uncle is expecting us soon.”

Jin clapped her hands together excitedly. Taking off at a rapid pace with Lee trailing behind, Jin expertly dodged the foot traffic to get to a small path hidden from the street view. Jin rambled about the story about the path and how her parents had found this path when they were just dating. Lee silently listened and nodded along as he followed her up the hill.

“Wow” was the first word that Lee had said since he had agreed to the detour. At the top of the hill, Lee looked out at the view of the Lower Ring that extended before him. The city was so much more expansive than he realized and it was bustling with life. There was so much one could look at; he didn’t know where to begin.

“Makes you fall in love with the city, doesn’t it?” Jin said as she sat down on the ground. She smiled up at Lee and patted the grass next to her, motioning for him to sit.

“I guess” came Lee’s curt replay. He sat stiffly next to her a few feet away.

Jin laughed and shuffled closer to him, close enough that if she wanted, she could have laid her head on his shoulder. “You guess?” She tried to meet his eyes, but he kept his gaze fixed on the view. A part of her wanted to reach out and touch his scar, but she knew that he was very sensitive when it came to it so she kept her hand down. “It must have been hard.”

“What?” Lee turned his head to look at her and found her staring intently at him. _When did she get so close to me?_

“I mean, moving here. You’ve mentioned before that you and Uncle used to move around a lot. Coming to a city like Ba Sing Se to settle down must be a big change.”

“Eh,” Lee shrugged, not wanting to rehash his feelings about coming to Ba Sing Se as refugees, “It’s fine.”

Jin grabbed ahold of his left hand and held it tight. “No, it’s not. And that’s okay. Change is hard. You don’t have to lie to me.”

Lee pulled back his hand and shifted away from her again. “I’m not lying.”

“Yes, you are,” Jin insisted, though she didn’t move closer again as she recognized that Lee wanted space. “That look in your eyes tells me otherwise. Our lives, though vastly different, are probably more similar than we think.”

“No!” Lee stood up angrily. “No, they’re not. You wouldn’t understand!”

“Then sit down and explain to me,” Jin said softly, not afraid by his outburst. “Maybe then I would.”

Lee looked away from her, still silently fuming.

“I’m sorry,” Jin apologized when he didn’t turn around. “I didn’t mean to make you upset. Please, sit down. Talk to me.” Lee glanced over to her and begrudgingly sat down again. Jin smiled. “Since you don’t want to talk, then I’ll will… For the past three years, I’ve struggled with being homeless. Though Ba Sing Se was where I was born, I’ve never really felt home here…” Jin trailed off and took a deep breath to steady her voice. The next part was always hard to say aloud. “My mother died when I was eleven and my father left to fight in the war when I was thirteen. I’ve been alone ever since.”

“I-I, I’m sorry,” Lee said after a moment. He didn’t know how to respond. Jin had been right; their lives were more similar than he had first thought.

“Don’t be,” Jin replied. “It’s not your fault.”

“You were right,” Lee admitted as he gingerly took ahold of Jin’s hand. He wasn’t used to having someone else’s hand in his. “Our lives are more similar than we thought.” Lee looked away and coughed as if to cover for his turbulent emotions. Quietly and without looking at her, Lee explained, “My mother disappeared when I was eleven too. And my father—” Lee shook his head and glanced to the ground.

Jin shifted over towards him, not letting go of Lee’s hand, and rested her head on his shoulder. At first, she didn’t want to say anything, but curiosity got the better of her. “Does he have to with why you’re here?”

Lee wanted to move away from her because of the question, but he liked the feeling of her head on his shoulder and didn’t want that to go away. “It’s complicated.”

“Now, that’s just an excuse,” Jin retorted with a small laugh. “One that you’ve used before. I have a feeling that it has to do with the fact that you’re actually Fire Nation.” Jin could feel Lee stiffen up and pulled away from her. She laughed again. “The Firelight Fountain, remember, dummy?” she added as poked his check lightly.

“Oh.” Lee began to relax again as his initial adrenaline faded. “Right. The candles.”

“That was very sweet of you, you know.” Jin closed her eyes and remembered how he had lit of the candles for her. “That night, you risked your secret in order to make me happy.” She caught his gaze and grinned; everything was falling into place, except Jin’s own secrets were beginning to weigh on her. Even though he hadn’t told her directly, she had figured out his secret, but he had clue that she has harboring her own. _How long would I be able to keep it?_ Jin worried. Instead of focusing on her anxiety, she leaned into Lee again. That would be a problem for future Jin.

Lee smiled, slowly and softly, and closed his eyes and leaned his head against hers. The two fell into a comfortable silence, the awkwardness from before was gone. After another couple of minutes, Lee broke the silence. “We should get going before Uncle worries.” Standing up first, he extended a hand to help Jin help.

“Thank you.” Jin took one last look at the view before turning back to Lee. “For everything.” Quickly, she gave him a small kiss on the cheek and scurried down the hill. Lee grinned, standing frozen in place like a lovesick fool—not that he realized that. “Come on, Lee!” Jin called back to him, waving the shopping list over her head. “There’s a lot of items so we should divide and conquer.”

Lee chuckled to himself and hurried after her. Despite everything, Jin still managed to be happy about the little things. Unlike him who had focused his energy around anger, Jin had chosen to be happy and be free from the weight of the past. He followed Jin, feeling more and more at peace with living in Ba Sing Se. Zuko was beginning to transform more and more into Lee. A part of him embraced his guise enjoying the good that come of it, but a deeper part of him was toiling with the prospect of losing himself forever.


	5. Opportunity Strikes

A day later, a rich aristocrat entered the tea shop and approached Mushi who was serving tea to two customers. Lee and Jin were flirting with each other behind the counter where Jin helped brew fresh pots of tea and Lee counted the stock available.

The man smiled devilish as he looked around the shabby one room shop. “So, you’re the genius behind this incredible brew. The whole city is buzzing about you,” he said after getting Mushi’s attention. “I hope Pao pays you well.”

Mushi smiled kindly in return. “Good tea is its own reward.”

The man grinned like he had found an unguarded goose that laid the golden eggs. “But it doesn’t have to the only reward,” he paused for dramatic effective, “How would you like to open your own shop?”

“My own tea shop?” Mushi repeated slowly, but visibly enticed by the idea. “This is a dream come true!”

From the other side of the shop, Pao looked over concerned, recognizing the man as Quon, a known poacher of other people’s employees in order to make his own profit. Moving quickly to stand in between his valued employee Mushi and Quon, Pao jabbed his pointer finger at Quon. “What’s going on here? Are you trying to poach my teamaker?”

Quon chuckled and shrugged in faux innocence. “Sorry Pao, but that’s business for you, am I right?”

Pao paled and turned towards Mushi. “Mushi, if you stay, I’ll make you assistant manager. Wait, senior assistant manager!”

Quon quickly countered Pao’s offer. “I’ll provide you with a new apartment in the Upper Ring.”

Lee and Jin, who were both now eavesdropping, looked at each other in shock. The Upper Ring would be a huge improvement to their living situation. And for Jin, who had never been outside the lower ring, the idea of moving up in the world made her want to cry from excitement.

Quon didn’t stop his offer there. “The tea shop will be yours to do whatever you want, complete creative freedom.” 

For a man who was normally very reserved and calm, Mushi could barely contain his growing excitement. “I even get to name the shop?” His passion for tea was matched only by his love for his nephew.

“Of course!”

Pao looked as if he was about to cry, which he was if Mushi left his shop. “Uh, senior executive assistant manager?” he offered desperately.

Mushi wordlessly handed Pao the pot of tea he was holding and then bowed to the customers. Quon grinned as he agreed to the terms. Lee set down the teacup he had been washing and Jin followed in suit. The two approached Mushi. A sudden thought hit Jin. _If they move to the Upper Ring, would I go to?_ She had automatically assumed that she would go with them, but what if she didn’t. Staying behind would be lonely. She stopped herself from thinking about that alternative.

“Did you hear that, nephew, Jin?” Mushi asked as the two neared him. Jin smiled when she heard that she was included. “This man wants to give us our own tea shop in the Upper Ring of the city!”

“That’s right, your lives are about to change for the better!” Quon added.

Zuko gritted his teeth, getting angry at the world again. He glanced momentarily to Jin, the one good thing that had come of becoming Lee, but the idea of changing his life for the better made him remember that his life was not great to begin with. “I’ll try to contain my joy,” he retorted. Without another word, he walked past them and slammed the door shut on his way out.

“Lee, wait!” Jin called after him, following closely behind him. “What’s made you so angry?”

Once outside, Jin watched Lee catch a falling poster that appeared to have a sky bison on it. Jin caught one herself and skimmed it over. Her chest tightened as she realized how close the Avatar was to her. She knew what it would mean if they met somehow, but _why was Lee interested in the Avatar?_ Jin followed after Lee when he climbed onto the roof of a nearby house. Silently, they scanned the sky for any sign of the airbender.


	6. The truth is terrifying

Neither Jin nor Lee said anything about the poster as they gathered their items from their old apartment in preparation of the move to the Upper Ring. Lee grew increasing angry while Jin grew increasing anxious. As much as she should have been excited about finally leaving behind the Lower Ring, she felt horrible about not saying much about her past to Lee or Mushi. They had treated her so well and she knew that they would be upset if they knew that she felt like a lying freeloader, but she couldn’t help it.

Jin was quick to pack up her things, still owning just the small trunk’s worth of clothes and items in addition to her grandfather’s staff. She stared at the wrapped staff before turning her trunk. There was something in there that she had find.

Lee entered Mushi’s room to talk with his uncle. Inside, his uncle was brainstorming about his future tea shop. “So, I was thinking about names for my new tea shop. How about the Jasmine Dragon?” Iroh suggested. “It’s dramatic, poetic, has a ring to it.”

Zuko didn’t respond to his uncle’s suggestion and instead showed him the flyer he found earlier. “The Avatar is here in Ba Sing Se and he’s lost his bison.”

Iroh took the flyer for Zuko and read it over. He frowned, disappointed that his nephew had not changed. “We have a chance for a new life here. If you start stirring up trouble, we could lose all the good things that are happening for us.”

Zuko stared out the window at the city for a moment before turning back to Iroh. “Good things that are happening for you! Have you ever thought that I want more from life than a nice apartment and job serving tea!” Zuko grew angrier and more frustrated as he spoke.

Iroh waited a moment for his nephew to settle before he spoke again. Gently, he asked, “What about Jin? Is she not a good thing?”

Zuko froze, forgetting his anger for a second to be embarrassed instead. “She’s…she’s…” Zuko was unable to refute his uncle’s point. Jin was the one good thing about Ba Sing Se. She made him happy in ways that he didn’t know he could be, made him forget that he was a banished prince with no honor.

“There is nothing wrong with a life of love and prosperity. I suggest that you think about what it is that you want from your life and why.”

“I want my destiny,” Zuko grumbled.

“What that means is up to you.”

Zuko tried to quell his anger before leaving the room and rejoining Jin. The conversation with his uncle did not make him feel any better and he didn’t want Jin to know that he was upset about the Avatar. She didn’t need to know about his failure to capture him or that he was ever tasked with finding the boy in the first place.

Shutting the door behind him, he looked up from the floor to see Jin kneeling in front of him. In her lap, she held what look like an oversized necklace. The round medallion was obscured by her hands. Noticing Lee enter the room, she raised her head. Lee immediately noticed the tears in her eyes. She had been crying and he was too busy being angry that he didn’t know that she had been hurting.

“Lee,” she began slowly, terrified of what she was about to admit.

“Jin.” Lee immediately knelt down in front of her, once again forgetting his angry as his mind become consumed with the desire to make her pain vanish. “Are you okay? What’s wrong?”

“I have something to tell you.” Jin took a deep breath and meet his gaze, staring into his golden eyes and feeling comforted by the way he looked at her. Gently, she handed him the necklace she was holding. It was an old beaded necklace and the circular medallion was embellished with the symbol for the air, three identical swirls. “That was my grandfather’s…” Jin couldn’t help but choke on her words as she started crying. “He was one of the few Air Nomads to survive the…” she trailed off, unable to speak of the tragedy that befell her people. “He found refuge here in Ba Sing Se, got married, had my mom, my mom had me…what I’m trying to say is that I’m an airbender.”

Lee rocked back from her slightly from the shock. “You’re an airbender?” Of all of things that she could have said, he did not expect that. Jin nodded and produced a small whirlwind between her hands. “Why tell me now?”

“The poster. It bothered you.”

Lee’s eyes widened. “You noticed?”

“Of course, I did. You’re a terrible lair when it comes to your emotions.”

Lee wanted to be offended at the comment, but he knew she right. Over the past couple of weeks, Jin always knew when he was upset or if he had tried to lie to him. _She lied to me_ , Lee realized, a part of his anger returning, _Why?_ “Why didn’t you tell me sooner?”

“I was scared—not of you—but of what would happen. I didn’t want things to change. You knew me as a simple Earth Kingdom girl. I didn’t want you to think differently of me,” Jin explained as a half-truth, trying to get ahold of her wavering voice and tears. She couldn’t simply admit to him that she was scared to tell him because he was Fire Nation and even though he was kind to her, he still belonged to the nation that organized the slaughter of her people a hundred years ago. _What if he held the same violent beliefs?_ “I was scared that you would—”

“That I would what?” Lee practically yelled. Lee’s anger hit the boiling point again, however he didn’t move away from her. He wanted to hear her out.

“I don’t know!” Jin was equally upset as Lee, though she was more anxious than angry. “I was scared that you would treat me differently, that you wouldn’t like me anymore!”

Jin’s words struck Zuko. _Would Jin be like this if I told her I wasn’t Lee, but Fire Prince Zuko?_ He rubbed his hands through his hair and took a couple of breathes, trying to control his emotions. “Why would that change anything?” His question was surprising gentle.

Jin hesitated again. “Because…because you’re…Fire Nation…” Her words were quiet, almost a whisper, as if she didn’t want to say them.

Neither side of him, Lee or Zuko, knew how to respond to that. Rising quickly to his feet, he headed for the door. “I—I need some fresh air.” A second later, he disappeared out of the apartment.

Once he was gone, Jin broke down into a fit of crying that she didn’t try to contain. Her sobs racked her body. _What that the right thing to do? Would he love me anymore?_ Jin was no longer sure. She had decided that she would tell the truth, that it would be easier to tell him now rather than wait for later, but for the last three years, no other living soul knew her secret. Now, someone did—and not just anyone, a Fire Nation refugee. The cat was out of the bag.

Iroh had overheard part of the conversation when Zuko had raised his voice, but he didn’t enter the room until he heard Jin crying unconsolably and came into check on her. He recognized the Air Nomad medallion on sight. He had suspected there was more to Jin’s story than she let on. “Oh, my dear, are you alright?” He knelt down next to Jin and put a comforting arm around her.

“No. I’m not!” She cried, leaning into him as if he was her uncle too.

Iroh let her cry for a few more moments, knowing that asking too many questions too quickly would cause her to further spiral. After her sobbing slowed and quieted, Iroh asked, “Did Lee not take the news well?”

“I don’t know. He got upset when I told him that I had been scared to tell him before since he’s…” Jin stopped herself when she realized that since Mushi was Lee’s uncle that he was also, “Fire Nation.”

Mushi nodded. “That is fair. The sins of the past mar the present, but you do not have to worry. My nephew would never hurt you.”

Jin took some comfort for Mushi’s words. “I know, but telling the truth is terrifying. I don’t think I did it right.”

“It’ll be okay. You will still have a home with us if you chose it.”

Jin pulled back from Mushi’s embrace to meet his gaze. She wiped the tears from her red and puffy eyes. “Really?”

“Of course.” Mushi smiled softly. “Our new apartment will have more than enough space for you.”

“Thank you, Mushi, for everything.”


	7. Lake Laogai

After calming down, Jin helped Mushi finish packing up the apartment. There certainly was a part of her that wanted to find Avatar Aang, but the other part of her feared what came after that. If Jin succeeded in finding the Avatar, would she have to leave Lee to learn airbending? Was becoming a master in her element worth leaving the home she had found in Ba Sing Se? Jin did not have answers to those questions, so she keep herself distracted with the task at hand.

Lee didn’t come back to the apartment after their argument; or when he did, Jin did not notice his return because he slipped out quickly and quieted once he grabbed what he was looking for. Jin spent the mid-morning cleaning the apartment and preparing for when the movers that Quon hired arrived. Mushi left shortly before the movers came as he wanted to get a head start on laying the groundwork for his tea shop.

The move to the Upper Ring was relatively easy. It proved to be enough of a distraction from Jin’s anguish regarding the argument and upsetting Lee. She was worried about him, knowing he had a trouble past and trouble with emotions, and she was worried about them, about their future. Pouring herself into her work with setting up the new apartment, Jin focus her anxiety on what she could currently change.

Meanwhile Lee had decided that his quest, Zuko’s quest, needed to be finished. Donning his Blue Spirit guise, Zuko headed off into the city to find the flying bison before the Avatar did. He figured that a Dai Li agent would be a good starting point in his search. Finding one was simple. Luring an agent into a back alley, Zuko captured the agent and forced him into giving up the location of the Dai Li headquarters.

Navigating his way through the subterranean labyrinth, Zuko eventually found the door that lead to his price. Right before he opened it, Zuko briefly hesitated. Shaking the feeling off, he opened the door and walked it. Inside, there was the Avatar’s flying bison, his prize. The bison was chained by each of its legs, its fur was dirty, and he looked malnourished.

“Expecting someone else?” Zuko asked. He approached Appa slowly. Appa growled and lashed out towards Zuko. The chains held him in place. “You’re mine now.”

A moment later the door began to open and Zuko jumped into a fighting stance. However, he didn’t need to fight. It was no enemy that walked through the door.

“Uncle?”

“So, the Blue Spirt? I wonder who could be behind that mask,” Iroh mused aloud, his disappointment evident.

Zuko sighed and removed the mask. “What are you doing here?” he grumbled.

“I was just about to ask you the same thing. What are you planning to do now that you’ve found the Avatar’s bison?” Iroh chided as he came closer to his nephew. “Keep him locked in our new apartment? Should I go put on a pot of tea for him?”

Zuko ignored his uncle’s sarcasm. “First I have to get him out of here.”

Iroh could not help but grow angry at Zuko’s lack of foresight. “And then what? You never think these things through!” he yelled, pointing his finger at him. “This is exactly what happened at the North Pole! You had him and then you had nowhere to go!”

“I would have figured something out!” Zuko protested.

“No! If his friends hadn’t found you, you would have frozen to death!”

“I know my own destiny, Uncle!” Zuko refused to admit that his uncle made fair points. He was so close once again. He couldn’t give up.

“Is it your own destiny or is it a destiny that someone else has tried to force on you?” Iroh questioned, trying to make Zuko understand his fixation was only hurting himself.

“Stop it, Uncle! I have to do this!”

“I’m begging you, Prince Zuko. It’s time for you to look inward and began asking yourself the big questions. Who are you and what do you want?”

Zuko yelled loudly in anguish and threw down his swords and Blue Spirt mask. He had a choice to make. He thought about his childhood, his father and about how he wanted to please him, but then another thought came to mind. It was the sound of Jin’s laugh, of how she made him feel happy, something that he hadn’t felt in a long time.

A moment later, he picked up his Dao swords and walked over to Appa. In silent, swift movements, he broke the chains one by one.

“Go,” he said as he ushered Appa to escape. Once Appa had taken off, he turned back to Iroh. “Let’s go home.”

Iroh smiled, pleased that Zuko had made the right decision. “Jin is waiting at the new apartment.” Exiting the Dai Li headquarters, Zuko and Iroh emerged to a beautiful blue sky. “You did the right thing, nephew.” Zuko remained silent and looked forlorn at his Blue Spirit mask. Iroh rested a hand on his shoulder. Iroh added, “Leave it behind.”

Without a word, Zuko headed over to the edge and tossed the mask into the water. He watched it slowly sink to the bottom of the lake, once again wondering if this was the right thing to do.

When Iroh and Zuko finally returned from Lake Laogai, Jin had been waiting anxiously for them. She had mostly finished putting everything away into its new homes as an outlet for her anxiety. Ever since Mushi left, Jin hadn't stop moving. She cleaned almost everything in the apartment during the process. Jin had just put on a fresh pot of water on the kitchen stove to boil when she heard the door open.

“You did the right thing. Letting the Avatar’s bison go free.” Jin overheard Iroh—Mushi say from the other room. _The Avatar’s bison?_ Jin stopped what she was doing to listen in. 

Jin opened the door to the entryway to greet them when she noticed immediately that Lee didn’t look well. He barely made eye contact with her as he took a few steps forward into the apartment.

“I don’t feel right,” Lee mumbled. He stumbled forward, visibly dizzy and collapse onto the floor.

“Zuko!” Iroh yelled, instinctively rushing to his side. Jin was there a moment later. Iroh looked over at her and realized his mistake, but Jin was too focused on tending his nephew that she noticed.

Quickly, they gathered the supplies to tend to Zuko. Iroh carried him to the bedroom area where he changed him into more comfortable clothes. Jin fetched the sleeping mat and bedding. It did not take long for the two of them to get Zuko into bed. Once he was seemly comfortable, Jin finally spoke, “I guess the water for the tea I was going to make is cold now. I’ll brew a new pot.”

Jin used tea as an excuse to leave the room first. Her thoughts were running a thousand miles an hour. She had known from the start that Lee was most likely an alias since she knew he was Fire Nation, but hearing his real name startled her. _Zuko,_ she mumbled silently, letting that name roll over her tongue. It felt weird to call Lee Zuko. Not to mention, he had apparently found and released the Avatar’s flying bison. It didn’t make sense. Just who was he? The thought that she didn't really know Lee made her scared and sad. 

After finishing making the tea, Jin carried the pot and two cups to the room where Zuko was resting. Iroh had remained there to diligently watch over him. She sat down next to him and poured the tea. “So… Mushi,” she began tentatively. “If Lee’s real name is Zuko, then what is yours?”

Iroh accepted the cup of tea and thanked her. He sighed at her question, knowing that it would fall to him to tell her the truth. “Iroh.”

“Iroh,” she repeated, committing it to memory. Jin closed her eyes and pinched the bridge of her nose. A part of her wanted to cry again. The other part of her wanted to yell in frustration. She had been as honest as possible and they had both kept this secret. “Were you ever going to tell me the truth?”

Iroh looked at her with sadness in his eyes. He shook his head. “Only if Zuko wanted to.”

Jin felt her heart fall to her stomach. Her hand covered her mouth and she tried to choke back a sob. She didn’t know what to say. She loved Lee and she knew that she could love Zuko too, but he didn’t want to tell her the truth? Even after she had told him hers? Telling him that she was an airbender was one of the most terrifying things she had done in her life. 

“Why are you here in Ba Sing Se?” she asked after a moment. She was ready to hear what he had to say. “The truth please.”

“Are you sure?” When Jin nodded yes, Iroh continued, “We are banished from the Fire Nation as enemies of the state, of my brother.”

“Your brother? Lee, uh, Zuko’s father?”

“Yes.” Iroh looked down at his cup of tea, knowing that what came next was the most painful truth. He knew that he had to tell her, but it did not lessen his shame. “My younger brother, Fire Lord Ozai.”

Jin choked on her tea and spilt the rest over the floor. “Fire Lord Ozai,” she repeated, her voice small. She sat still, her heart beating so hard that it hurt. The Fire Nation had destroyed her people, she knew that, but it wasn’t the soldiers that made that choice. It had been the Fire Lord who started the war and the Fire Lord who kept the war alive. One hundred years ago, it had been Fire Lord Sozin, now it was Ozai. Would Zuko be next? Lee, her love, had been born into a legacy to tyrants and villains. But he wasn’t like that…unless he had been acting the whole time. _No!_ She shook her head. Lee would never. He was kind and awkward. And while he might have issues with anger, but he never deliberately hurt anyone. 

Iroh watched as Jin processed the news. He expected her to react more, but he knew that despite her silence, she was hurting. She had deserved to know, though he worried that he should have let Zuko tell her the truth instead. Jin reached for Zuko’s hand and held in tight, crying as quietly as possible so not to wake him. She stayed like that for a few minutes. 

“Thank you for telling me,” she said softly, looking over to Iroh. 

“I am sorry for not telling you sooner.”

Jin shook her head. “You had your reasons.” A moment later, she half-chuckled, trying to make some light out of the situation. “Fire Nation royalty in Ba Sing Se, huh? Does this mean that one guy in the tea shop was right?”

Iroh half-chuckled as well and nodded. He stood up and went to grab towels to clean up the spilled tea, letting Jin stay with Zuko. Together, they began to take turns watching over Zuko as he recovered from his illness. 


	8. Metamorphis

When Zuko awoke for the first time since collapsing, night had fallen in the city. He looked around room dazed and confused. Jin was right next him, tending to his fever.

“You’re burning up,” she commented as she dipped a cloth into a bucket filled with cold water. “You have a high fever, Le-Zuko. This will help cool you down.” Jin placed the cloth on his forehead gently. Turning towards the kitchen area, she called out, “Iroh! He’s awake.”

Zuko was too feverish to notice that Jin was using their real names. “So thirsty,” he mumbled, trying to sit up. Jin helped him to a position where it would be easier to drink. Grabbing a different bucket of water, Jin scooped up some water with a spoon. “Here’s some clean water to drink.” When he tried to pulled off the blanket, she ordered, “Stay under the blankets.”

Zuko took the spoon from Jin and drink the water quickly. He tossed the spoon aside and grabbed the bucket. Desperately, he took large gups of water, spilling some out with his aggression. When he had drank all the water, he threw the bucket aside and laid back down without another word.

Jin adjusted the blanket and pulled it up to cover Zuko. She kissed him on the forehead, wished him sweet dreams, and stood up. Grabbing the empty water bucket, she headed into the kitchen to trade off with Iroh.

A few hours later, Iroh replaced the wet cloth over his delirious nephew’s forehead. Zuko shifted in his sleep. In his dream—no, nightmare, he was dressed in the robes meant for the Fire Lord. He stood in the very hall where his story began, the war room. He bore no scar on his face. He looked like a proper Fire Lord.

Two dragons, one red and one blue, appeared and circled the pillars on each side of him. The blue dragon flew around towards Zuko. “It’s getting late. Are you planning to retire soon, my lord?” The blue dragon’s voice sound exactly like Azula, demeaning and sharp.

“I’m not tired,” Zuko said.

Coming forward to whisper in his ear, the blue dragon lulled, “Relax, Fire Lord Zuko. Just let go. Give in to it. Shut your eyes for a while.”

Zuko slowly started to set his eyes, but snapped them open when the red dragon spoke. “No, Fire Lord Zuko,” the red dragon urged in a tone that was reminiscent of Uncle Iroh’s. “Do not listen to the blue dragon. You should get out of here right now. Go! Before it’s too late!”

The two dragons poised themselves on each side of him. He didn’t know who to listen to.

“Sleep now, Fire Lord Zuko!”

Zuko took a half-step back as the dragons disappeared into the darkness. The room and the surrounding guards began to crumble around Zuko. The blue dragon reappeared in front of him, first its golden eyes were visible and the its whole face as it closed in on him.

“Sleep!” The blue dragon’s voice grew louder and more hostile. “Just like mother!” The dragon charged at Zuko and opened its mouth. Inside, Zuko could see his mother, Ursa.

“Zuko! Help me!” She cried out.

Distraught, he lunged toward her, but the floor disappeared beneath him and he fell through it. He landed on the hard ground somewhere below. From a distance he could see Jin. He stumbled to his feet and raced toward him. As he grew closer, flames erupted around her. “Zuko! Stop this!” she pleaded, looking around trying to find him. “Don’t hurt me.”

Zuko slowed and looked down at his hands, afraid that he was the cause for her suffering, that he would burn her like he did to him. “I can’t stop it!” he yelled.

“Yes, you can! I believe in you!” Jin answered back. Zuko continued to try to reach her but the flames kept getting higher and hotter.

Zuko shifted in his sleep and he groaned. His brows were furrowed. Jin could tell that it was a nightmare. She took a hold of his and rubbed it gently. “It’s okay. You’re safe,” she said softly. After hearing the truth, she decided that she would stay by his side.

In the morning, Iroh had made a pot of tea and was pouring a cup for Zuko who had woken up again. Jin was curled up and sleeping right next to him. Iroh had put a blanket around her when he noticed that she had fallen asleep while watching over him during the night.

“You should know that this is not a natural sickness, but that shouldn’t stop you from enjoying tea,” Iroh explained. he assisted Zuko in drinking the tea as he was still weak.

“What’s happening?” Zuko asked, his throat still feeling dry and scratchy in spite of having just drank tea.

“Your critical decision. What you did beneath that lake. It was in such a conflict with your image of yourself that you are now at war with your own mind and body.” Iroh helped Zuko take another sip.

“What’s that mean?” Zuko began to cough and laid back down.

Iroh helped adjust the sheets around Zuko. “You are going through a metamorphosis, my nephew. It will not be a pleasant experience, but when you come out of it” —Iroh took the cloth and dabbed off the sweat on Zuko’s forehead— “you will be the beautiful prince you were always meant to be.”

Zuko slept for another couple of days. In the meantime, Iroh and Jin began preparations in opening the tea shop. From choosing décor to selecting dishware, the two had their hands full. They traded off between working at the Jasmine Dragon and watching over Zuko.

When Zuko awoke after the sickness past, it was the dawn of the fourth day since the Lake Laogai incident, not that Jin was aware of what caused his collapse. He got dressed while Jin and Iroh were in the other room preparing food for breakfast.

“What’s that smell?” Zuko asked with uncharacteristic smile when he walked in the room.

“It’s jook,” answered Iroh. “I’m sure you wouldn’t like it.”

Zuko leaned over the pot and took another whiff. “Actually, it smells delicious I’d love a bowl, Uncle.” He held up a bowl without dropping his smile.

Iroh and Jin shared a look. It was like someone had come and replaced the grumpy Zuko with one that was at peace with himself. Jin couldn’t help by smile herself. “Now that your fever is gone, you seem different somehow. I like it.”

Zuko looked over to her, his smile somehow grower larger. “It’s a new day. We’ve got a new apartment, new furniture, and tomorrow’s the grand opening of Uncle’s new tea shop,” he answered optimistically. He moved to the table and sat down next to Jin. “Things are looking up, Uncle, Jin.” He leaned over and kissed Jin lightly on the head before taking a sip of the jook.

Once again Iroh and Jin were shocked. Zuko had never before shown such public affection before. Both shared another look, smiled, and began to eat as well.


	9. the Jasmine Dragon, part one

Making tea was like an art, Iroh once said to Jin. Each step required precision, from the measurement of tea leaves used to the temperature of the water as it boiled. Patience was a vital part in the tea making process. One misstep and it could ruin the whole pot.

Jin had already loved tea. Learning how to brew tea properly was a beautiful endeavor for her. It had begun when she had started serving tea at the Pao Family Tea Shop and she had asked Uncle “Mushi” Iroh about his secret in making the tea taste so delicious. Excited that someone shared his passion, Iroh taught her about the nuances of tea. He taught her about the different types of leaves and how they impacted flavor. He taught her which types one steeped for two minutes, five minutes, or longer. Jin studied hard about the history of the drink and its cultural significance. As a reward for her hard work, Iroh gave her the opportunity to design the menu of the new tea shop.

Referencing the old one from the Pao Family shop, Jin took notes and wrote up a few ideas at one of the tables in tea shop’s main room. Zuko came over to check on her after he finished moving around the new furniture. “What are you doing?” he asked, leaning over the table to get a look at what Jin was working on.

“Making the new menu.” Jin waved at the few of her mock-ups for him to see.

He grabbed one and read it over. “You made a mistake,” he commented, pointing to one line. “This one doesn’t say tea after it like the others.”

Jin looked at where he was point and laughed. Of course, the guy who once said that tea was nothing more than hot leaf juice wouldn’t know any better.

“What?” Zuko pouted, knowing that Jin was laughing at him.

“Chai means tea, my love.”

A second later, Jin realized what she said. She had called Zuko her love. Her face went red from embarrassment and she quickly buried her face in her hands.

Zuko did not fair much better. He was quite literally frozen in place. The blush from his cheeks felt so hot he thought for a second that he had accidently began to combust. “Say that again,” he asked.

“Chai means tea…” she answered quietly, her face still covered by her hands. Jin wished that she could disappear through the floor. She didn’t mean to let that slip out.

“No, the last part.”

“…my love,” Jin added a moment later, looking up just a little through the cracks in her fingers

Zuko smiled and pulled her hands away from her face. “My love, huh?” He kissed her gently on the forehead. “Call me that more often, okay?”

“Okay.” Jin felt her heart spaz a little. _How can he both be so awkward yet so smooth?_ Jin looked back at her work, trying reign in her emotions. “So…which design do you like better?” she asked to change the subject.

Zuko looked over the options. “This one.” He pointed to the one that featured a dragon design with gold and red accents, a subtle homage to their Fire Nation roots. She knew that for Zuko, his heritage meant a lot to him. Day by day, he told a little bit more about where he grew up and who he was. It was a slow process, but Jin didn’t feel the need to rush.

Jin grinned. “That one is my favorite. I’ll go tell Uncle about it.”

After finalizing the last details with the Jasmine Dragon, Zuko and Jin headed out the market to do a little shopping. Iroh had been adamant that Jin go and purchase new clothes. From the past month, he noticed that she alternated between two different outfits and one pair of shoes. Now that they had received a forward payment from Quon, Iroh insisted that she was a part of the family and that she deserved to have a larger wardrobe.

Jin felt uncomfortable with the idea of shopping. For starters, Iroh had given her money to buy clothes, more money than she had ever had to spend. Besides that, the last time that Jin had been able to buy new clothes was at least three years ago, if not longer. After her dad abandoned her to join the army, she had to resort to stealing clothes off of the clothes lines or receive them from the infrequent homeless initiatives run by the city.

Buying high quality clothes was a dream. Now it was becoming a reality. Despite her anxiety about not fitting in with the Upper Ring, Jin couldn’t help but feel excited.

“Come on, Lee!” Jin said as she pulled Zuko along. Whenever they were in public, Jin resorted to using his alias.

“Okay, okay, you don’t have to yank,” he protested, trying to slow the pace a little.

Once in the clothing store, Jin admired all the clothes on display. There were so many options, from dresses to tunics to articles of clothing that she knew had fancy names but didn’t actually know the names. Jin didn’t know where to start so she turned to Zuko. “Which ones do you like?” she asked him.

“Me?” His eyes widened, surprised that she wanted his opinion. “Um, I think you like nice in greens.”

“Okay! I’ll try some on.” Jin grabbed a couple of options and headed to the dressing room. She started to do a little fashion show for each piece. Any clothes that would get a big reaction from Zuko she would put in the ‘yes’ pile. Unfortunately, her strategy backfired. She quickly realized that almost every outfit made Zuko blush and sputter awkward as he tried to compliment her.

She finally settled on three outfits: one fancy emerald green and gold dress, a light green tunic with a pair of tan slacks, and a pale golden dress to wear while working in the Jasmine Dragon. She got two pairs of shoes as well.

At the checkout, the cashier made idle small talk. “It’s sweet that you’re buying for your girlfriend.”

“She’s not my—” Zuko began to loudly protest, then quieted, and coughed awkwardly. “Sorry. I’m still new at this.”

Jin giggled; Zuko always looked cute when his ears turned red from embarrassment. She thanked the cashier, picked up the shopping bag, and grabbed a hold of Zuko’s hand. Together, they exited the shop. By then, it was mid-afternoon. “Why don’t we drop this off at the apartment and go out to eat?” Jin asked, adding, “I’ll wear one of my new outfits.”

Zuko looked at her and smiled. “Sounds good.”

They chose a restaurant not unlike the first they went to at the start of their relationship, though this restaurant was much nice. Jin didn’t try to force Zuko to juggle this time either. Each time they went on a date, it got a little easier, a little less awkward, and overall, more fun.

Zuko was gentle with his love, afraid of hurting Jin like his family hurt him. Sometimes he couldn’t help it and he got angry, frustrated with himself and the world. Jin never judged him for his outbursts and helped him understand the emotions he was feeling. Jin was kind with her love, holding out hope for a better world. Sometimes she couldn’t help and she got anxious, scared that it will all come to an end and she’ll lose everything. Zuko learned to support her when she got so panicked, she couldn’t breathe; he learned what it meant to be someone’s rock. In their worst times, they learned how to help the other. In their best times, they learned how to truly love the other.

After dinner, Jin lead Zuko towards as small area in the Upper Ring near one of the parks. The sun was beginning to set and the sky was beautiful array of colors. Once in the little park, she turned to him. “Lee—I mean, Zuko,” Jin began, “I just wanted to say, um, that I am really grateful for you.” _That I love you_ , Jin thought having chickened out of saying it aloud. She relished in the feeling of her hands in his, enjoying the moment and secretly wishing that it would never end.

With his free hand, Zuko rubbed the back of his neck as if that would ease his nerves. She was so beautiful that he couldn’t believe that she was his. “Oh, yeah, me too.”

Jin lightly nudged him. “Oh, come on, you can say it back.”

“What?” Zuko tilted his head, not understanding. Jin tensed, concerned that she had upset him by being too forward. He grabbed a hold of her other hand and drew her closer to him. “Jin, I am grateful. You have become the light of my life. Before I met you, I thought that Ba Sing Se would be like a prison, but it has become so much more.”

“Oh, Zuko,” Jin murmured. Feeling more confident than before, she began to laugh-cry. Meeting his gaze, she admitted, “I love you.”

“I love you too.”

Those were big words for both of them to say. Zuko leaned forward, letting go of Jin’s hands to caress her face. Gently, his lips met hers. Over time, the pressure built and kiss deepened. Unconsciously, Jin summoned wind to spiral around them. The wind chimes around the park began to clack and turn into a gentle cacophony.

It was moments like these that Jin would not trade for the world. The two of them enjoyed the rest of the evening together, retiring early in preparation for the opening of the Jasmine Dragon


	10. the Jasmine Dragon, part two

The next morning all three of them had woken before the sun had fully risen. It was an exciting day, the start of a new chapter. The Jasmine Dragon was ready for its opening debut. Standing at the back at the shop and looking out towards the door, they congratulated each other for the accomplishment.

“Who would have thought that when we came to this city as refugees that I’d end up owning my own tea shop?” Iroh remarked with a content smile. “Follow your passion, Zuko, and life will reward you.”

Zuko, with his arm wrapped around Jin, gave her a light squeeze. “Congratulations, Uncle.”

“You deserve it,” added Jin. “The Jasmine Dragon will become the best tea shop in the city.”

Iroh shook his head and looked at the two of them with pride. “No, I’m thankful because you are here to share this special day with me. It means more than you know.”

Zuko let go to Jin to hug his uncle. When they separated, Zuko smiled again. “Now let’s make these people some tea!” Zuko headed towards the kitchen area with Jin in tow.

“Yes, let’s makes some tea!” Iroh exclaimed overjoyed. His dream of operating his own tea shop was finally coming true.

The Jasmine Dragon was an instant success, partly due to Quon’s advertising skills. It grew very popular very fast. On a typical day, Zuko worked as a waiter or cashier while Iroh and Jin were the tea brewers. Jin additionally helped make the small finger-foods that were available in addition to tea, such as scones or tea cakes. They worked well as team, rarely having any issues with taking orders and brewing tea in a timely manner.

During slow periods, Jin and Zuko would sit at a table towards the back and simply talk. They talked about anything and everything. Typically, Jin was the one would lead the conversations, but sometimes Zuko would tell her about his past. During his sickness, Iroh had explained a little of their history, but she had wanted to hear the most of it from Zuko himself. She knew that it would come with time and she didn't mind the wait. 

Of all of the stories that he told her, the story behind his scar broke her heart. Hearing him say that his father was one who had burned him made her cry so much that she had had to step out of the tea shop to collect herself. Jin could never have imagined that it was his father was the one to hurt him like. While she did not care much for her own father, she knew that he would never strike her. After seeing Jin's reaction to one of his more traumatizing backstories, Zuko was hesitant to tell Jin any more stories as he was worried that he would upset her. But Jin insisted that talking about it would help. She didn't want Zuko to carry his burdens alone any longer.

Jin was open with Zuko too. She told him more about how her mother got sick and passed away, about how her father couldn’t bear living in the city any longer and enlisted him. She told him what it was like to be left behind, how the money ran out for the first time and she was forced to live in the streets. She told him about her fear of being the last airbender and about how the return of the Avatar gave her hope. Zuko still did not like to talk about the Avatar but he was willing to listen to Jin. She felt good to get her anxieties off her chest and to have someone to confide in. She never felt judged by Zuko, who turned out to be good listener. 

Other times, Jin would stay in the kitchen and experiment on with new flavors of tea and styles of drink. “Oh, Lee,” she called out in a sing-song voice.

“Yes, Jin?” Zuko responded from where he was sweeping the floor.

“Come here. I want you to try a new recipe for me.”

Zuko tried to hide his grimace as he recalled the last recipe he had taste-tested. “Okay.” He set the broom aside and headed over to her to try her new concoction, hoping that this one was better tasting than the last... It was not. 

A few days later, the Council of Five meeting was held to discuss the Day of Black Sun in the war chamber located outside palace grounds. After the meeting, Katara and Momo headed back towards the Earth King’s palace to brief him on the new plan. Noticing the Jasmine Dragon, Katara slowed her pace and asked Momo, “What do you say, Momo? A cup of tea before we get back to the king?”

Katara entered the tea shop and was greeted by Jin. She requested, “Table for two please.”

Further in the tea shop, Zuko was busy working the floor and taking orders. “Uncle, I need two jasmine, one green, and one lychee,” he called back towards the kitchen.

“I’ll brewing as fast as I can!” Iroh responded from the other room.

As soon as Katara recognized Zuko and Iroh, she was stunned and knew that she had to report that the Fire Nation had entered Ba Sing Se. She immediately turned around and fled from the shop. Jin was confused why she left so suddenly, but the shop was too busy to dwell on one random Water Tribe girl. Katara ran towards the palace, hoping to retrieve backup while she had the upper hand on her enemies.

Once inside the palace, Katara went to inform the Earth King in the throne room, only she encountered three Kyoshi Warriors instead. “Thank goodness you’re here, Suki,” Katara said with a small sigh of relief. Too wound up by her discovery of Zuko, she didn't look to close at the Warriors. “Something terrible is going on. The Fire Nation has infiltrated the city. I just saw Prince Zuko and his uncle. ‘Suki’ briefly let surprise cross over her face between she controlled her expression again. Katara continued, “We have to tell the Earth King right away!”

“Oh, don’t worry. I’ll be sure to let him know,” Azula smirked, motioning to her team to get ready to engage.

Katara realized her mistake too late. The girl she mistook as Suki was actually Princess Azula and the other two Kyoshi Warriors were Mai and Ty Lee. Katara prepared to attack them, but Ty Lee launched herself forward and blocked her chi before she could do anything. Disarmed, Katara collapsed to the ground.

Azula stood over her and grinned as she realized that there was now an unexpected piece on the chessboard that she could manipulate. “So, ZuZu’s in the city too? I think it’s time for a family reunion.”


	11. Good things come to an end

A few hours later, a royal messenger entered the Jasmine Dragon and approached Iroh, announcing, “A message from the Royal Palace.”

Iroh took the scroll from the man and read through it quickly. He could not believe what he was reading, shock turned to happiness and he almost dropped the scroll. “I-I can’t believe it.”

“What is it, Uncle?” Zuko asked, beating Jin to the punch. Both of them stopped what they were doing to focus on Iroh.

“Great news! We’ve been invited to serve tea to the Earth King!” Iroh answered excitedly and ran off towards the kitchen to prepare.

Zuko turned to Jin and smiled, happy for his uncle. Each day, more and more things were looking up. Jin followed after Iroh to help pick out what tea to serve as well as gather the nicest china possible.

Within the hour, Zuko, Jin and Iroh stood outside the royal palace. Jin had never imagined in a million years would she ever see the palace in person. She had spent years dreaming of just leaving the Lower Ring behind and now she was about to meet the Earth King.

“Many times, I imagine myself here at the threshold of the palace,” Iroh reminisced. “But I always thought I would be here as a conqueror” —Jin flinched slightly at his words, forgetting that Iroh was once a great general of the Fire Nation. She shrugged it off quickly, knowing that Iroh was a good man now and that he would never use this opportunity to attack— “Instead, we are the Earth King’s personal guests, here to serve him tea. Destiny is a funny thing.”

“It sure is, Uncle,” Zuko agreed, grabbing a hold of Jin’s hand and pulling it up to his lips to give it a small kiss. Jin smiled and nodded, leaning into him. Her life had changed dramatically in last two months, but she was grateful for the change.

After they made it inside the Royal Palace, they were escorted to a small room furnished with a small table and a throne in the front. Jin and Iroh set up the tea set on the table and all three sat down as they began to wait for the Earth King to arrive. In the meantime, Iroh poured himself a cup of tea.

“What’s taking so long?” Zuko asked as he eyed the room. He had an uneasy feeling as soon as he had set foot in the building. The wait was not helping either. Something was off about this invite. He just couldn’t put his finger on it yet.

“Maybe the Earth King overslept?” Jin offered, though she too felt something amiss. She tried her best to quell her nerves and convince herself that she was simply overthinking things. There was no way that the Earth King could have known who they were. Their secret had to be safe.

A moment later, Dai Li agents silently entered the room and encircled the three. Their presence was clearly a show of force. None of them said anything.

“Something’s not right,” Zuko said adamantly, pulling Jin closer to him.

Azula entered shortly after, confident and smug. She walked past the Dai Li agents under her command and stopped right in front of her brother and uncle. “It’s teatime,” snickered Azula, looking down on her pathetic relatives.

Zuko jumped to his feet and clenched his fists. “Azula.”

Jin followed him to her feet, ready for what she assumed would be a fight. Zuko had mentioned having a villainous little sister, but she never expected to her like this.

“Oh, who’s this?” Azula asked with a smirk when she noticed Jin. “Never mind. I’ll find out soon enough. Have you met the Dai Li? They’re earthbenders, but they have a killer instinct that’s so firebender. I just love it.”

Jin looked to Zuko, silently asking him what their next move was. Calmly, Iroh stood up with his cup of tea in hand. “Did I ever tell you how I got the nickname ‘the Dragon of the West?’” quizzed Iroh.

“I’m not interested in a lengthy anecdote.” Azula looked down at her nails condescendingly.

“It’s more of a demonstration really.” Iroh took a sip of tea as Zuko glanced over to him and smiled knowingly. He grabbed Jin and pulled her close to him as they stood behind Iroh. A split second later, Iroh began to breathe fire in wide arc, pushing back the Dai Li agents. Once the path was clear, Jin created a strong blast of air to throw the doors to the room open. She and Zuko ran out first with Iroh trailing behind, still breathing fire to ward off the Dai Li.

The three of them sprinted down the corridor, dodging the rock hands thrown by the Dai Li agents. Coming up to an external wall, Iroh conjured a small amount of lighting to break a large enough hole in the wall. Iroh jumped out first and landed on a bear-shaped hedge below. Rubbing his head as if it would ease the ache from jumping out of the palace, he looked up to Zuko and Jin, yelling, “Come on! You’ll be fine!”

Zuko stalled and Jin had hesitated with him, unwilling to leave him behind. “No. I’m tired of running,” Zuko declared. “It’s time I faced Azula.”

Jin grabbed his hand and tried to pull him over the edge. She felt her anxiety rise, but tried her best to control herself. She could panic later. Right now, they needed to leave. “No, it’s not. Let’s go.”

He yanked his hand away from her. “I have to do this.” His words were sharp and defiant. He turned back towards the hall, putting Jin behind him. He wasn’t going to run away from Azula again.

“No, no,” pleaded Jin, grabbing his arm but he yanked it away. “It’s not. Please.” When Zuko didn’t turn back around, Jin realized that he had made his choice and so too must she. Jin looked between the number of Dai Li agents approaching and the opening in the wall, knowing that the chances of victory were slim. She feared that if she was captured it would be her downfall if they discovered she was a descendant of an Air Nomad. “Do what you want,” she grumbled to Zuko just before jumping out the window. Using airbending to slow and soften her fall, she ran towards Iroh. Together they ran from the palace to somewhere they could regroup for the upcoming fight. Since Zuko had stayed behind, this would no longer be an escape from Ba Sing Se for the trio. It would be a rescue mission as well.

Zuko stood defiantly before the hole in the wall, ready to take on his sister. Azula laughed. “You’re so dramatic,” she mocked, rolling her eyes. “What? Are you going to challenge me to an Agni Kai?”

“Yes! I challenge you!”

“No thanks.” Azula gestured to her agents lazily, silently ordering them to attack. She wouldn’t even need to lift a finger to capture him. Her plan was working perfectly, minus her uncle and that girl escaping. 

Zuko stepped forward as he launched a blast of fire toward his sister. Two Dai Li agents intervened and pulled up a section of the floor to make a wall to shield her from the attack. Another two, in quick succession, shot two rock gloves at Zuko’s feet, trapping him in place and causing him to lose balance. As soon as Zuko put his hand down, an agent trapped it as well. The fight was over just as quickly as it started. For a second, Zuko cursed himself for not following after Jin when he had the chance. 

Azula watched smugly as her brother was overwhelmed and captured. She would have preferred to secure her uncle as well, but she knew she would in due time. She walked away from him as the agents grabbed a hold of him.

Struggling as much as possible, Zuko resisted the guards who dragged him along to what presumably would be prison cell. Opening up a hole to reveal a room filled with crystals below, a Dai Li agent shouted to the room’s current occupant, “You’ve got company.” The agent pushed Zuko forward. Stumbling forward, Zuko rolled down the side of the cave and landed at the feet of Katara, the prison cell’s first tenant.

“Zuko!” She exclaimed, her shocked expression quickly turning to anger. Zuko shifted into a better sitting position and stared at her. The room grew slightly dimmer as the hole from above was closed; thankfully, the crystals provided enough light to see. The two faced each other, wondering what came next.


	12. unlikely allies

After fleeing the palace, Iroh and Jin ran back to their apartment to take cover the moment. Jin headed straight for her room, focused on preparing for what came next. It would be a fight to save Zuko. Between Azula and the Dai Li, their opponents were incredibly tough. Wrangling with her emotions, she decided to change clothes. She pulled off the dress that Zuko had brought her only a few days before, frustrated by Zuko’s selfish decision, and dug through her trunk of clothes to find her grandfather’s tunic. She would do this next part unashamedly as an airbender. She would save her Fire Nation boyfriend wearing the colors of her people, a people his family was responsible for destroying, and wielding her grandfather’s guilder. Jin had never worn the orange tunic outside, but today would mark the day in which she would no longer fear her own identity.

Once she was ready to go, Iroh lead the way to a residential area that was about fifteen minutes away from their apartment. He mentioned that they would find help there. Jin didn’t ask any questions, still reeling in her anger over Zuko. She trusted Iroh, now more than ever. She had to. Jin didn’t have any other allies at the moment and Zuko had just proven himself to be unreliable in the moment of crisis. She took a breath and did her best to steady herself. Airbenders were supposed to be calm and composed; Jin thought about her mom and how she was always so centered. It was time to be like a leaf in the wind and change.

Inside the apartment that Jin and Iroh were approaching stood Toph, Aang, and Sokka. Having linked up earlier in the day, they were still searching for Katara’s whereabouts. “There’s no one here,” Toph commented, sensing no other vibrations anywhere in the house. She turned back to Aang and Sokka.

“Katara is in trouble! I knew it!” fretted Aang; he looked over to Sokka who expressed his own grievances. His vision of her at the temple had to have been true.

“Wait! Someone’s at door!” Toph exclaimed a moment later just before a knock came from the door. She smiled when she recognized the person. “Actually, I know who it is. It’s old friend of mine.” Toph walked over and opened the door, revealing Iroh and Jin. “Glad to see you’re okay. Who’s your friend?”

“We need your help,” Iroh responded as soon as the door was open, ignoring Toph’s question. Jin stood dumbfounded as she realized that the help Iroh had been talking about was the Avatar and his friends. Once again, a wave of mixed emotions washed over Jin. The Avatar had been a fifteen-minute walk. He had been so close and Iroh had known that.

Sokka and Aang were both stunned and angry at Iroh’s appearance during this time of crisis and neither knew what to make of the girl with him. Aang noticed that she wore an airbender’s tunic and the staff she held was actually a glider. She looked to be older than both of them, maybe around 17. Aang stared at her, confused yet hopeful. She couldn’t be an airbender, right? He was the last one. The Fire Nation had killed everyone else.

Toph was nonchalant as her two friend assumed fighting stances. Unlike Aang or Sokka, she could sense Iroh and Jin’s heartbeats. Both were worried based on their fast heartbeats and neither were postured for a fight.

“You guys know each other?” Aang questioned Toph, upset at the idea that she had fraternized with Iroh. He still was sizing up Jin. 

“I meet him in the woods once and knocked him down,” Toph explained. Iroh smiled sheepishly and rubbed the back of his head. “Then he gave me some tea and some very good advice.”

“What about you?” Sokka demanded. “Who are you?”

Jin bowed in the style of the Air Nomads. “My name is Jin, granddaughter of Monk Dazu and Sister Lia.”

“Monk Dazu?” Aang repeated, recognizing the name from a monk who used to live at the Northern Air Temple. Was it possible? Was she truly an airbender? A part of him wanted to explode with excitement and relief at the thought he wasn’t alone, but he was more worried about Katara for him to lower his guard and embrace the stranger.

Jin nodded. “It’s a long story we don’t have time to get into.” She smiled at Aang. He was simultaneously younger than her and older. Once this fiasco was behind of them, she hoped to get the chance to talk about their culture together.

Iroh looked at the children before him and knew that time was short. Azula’s plan was already in motion. They had to stop her before she could cause any more damage to the Earth Kingdom. “May we come in?” he asked politely, receiving a ‘yes’ nod from Toph and walking into the room. “Princess Azula is here in Ba Sing Se.”

“She must have Katara.” Aang felt his fears about Katara being in danger grow again.

“She has captured my nephew as well.”

“Then we’ll worked together to fight Azula and save Katara and Zuko,” Aang decided confidently, looking between his team members and unlikely allies.

Sokka immediately protested, “Whoa there! You lost me at Zuko.”

“He’s not that bad,” Jin defended, even though a part of her felt he deserved to get dragged through the mud after being so selfish. “You just don’t know him that well. There is good inside him.”

Sokka rolled his eyes. Whoever this girl was, she clearly did not know the Fire Prince well. “Good inside him? That isn’t enough,” he argued. “Why don’t you come back when it’s outside him too. Okay?”

Jin didn’t bother attempting to contain her frustration, already on edge from Zuko’s choice and the resulting problems that came with it. Spinning her glider, she swept it under Sokka’s feet and knocked him to his ass. She brandished the glider over Sokka and glared. “It’s on the outside too—You wouldn’t know. But we don’t have time to argue about that. I personally would like to save him first, and preferably the city before Azula can overthrow the Earth Kingdom. If you want to hold someone to their past, then go for it. But if Azula succeeds in capturing Ba Sing Se, the Earth Kingdom will fall. I don’t want that to happen.” Jin lowered her guilder. “Ba Sing Se has been my home and the last thing that I want is to see it fall into Fire Nation hands.”

“Jin’s right,” Aang agreed, though bothered by her show of force. An air nomad wouldn’t be so aggressive, but she did say that she lived in Ba Sing Se so it’s likely that she doesn’t know about the air nomads’ culture. “All of Ba Sing Se is in trouble, including Katara. Working together is our best chance.”

She extended a hand to Sokka. Sokka refused it and stood up on his own. He was used to women knocking him on his ass on the regular, thought it did not mean that he enjoyed it when it happened, especially when it was a stranger.

Iroh headed back towards the front door, commenting, “I brought someone along who might help us.”

Outside stood a Dai Li agent with his hands tied and mouth gaged. Toph erected a couple of earth pillars around the nervous agent to prevent any bending from him. Once Iroh pulled off the gag, the agent spoke quickly, “Azula and Long feng are plotting a coup! They’re going to overthrow the Earth King!”

“My sister!” demanded Sokka, ignoring the concerns about the coup as he was focused on saving his sister. “Where are they keeping Katara?”

“In the crystal catacombs of Old Ba Sing Se, deep beneath the palace.”


	13. the Crystal Catacombs

Inside the Crystal Catacombs, Katara stood on the defensive and immediately began to berate Zuko. All of her frustrations about the current situation and the past boiled over. Here she was trapped in this cavern and now he, of all people, had to be imprisoned with her. The world was truly unfair and cruel. “Why did they throw you in here?” She waited a moment for his response, but Zuko remained silent with his back to her. _So, that’s how it was?_ Katara’s anger only grew at his silence. “Oh, wait, let me guess. It’s a trap. So that when Aang shows up to help me, you can finally have him in little your Fire Nation clutches.”

Zuko turned around to face her, wanting to refute that claim and tell her that he had changed, that he had something else that he wanted to protect, but he couldn’t. He was ashamed of his previous interactions with Katara and he was currently upset that he had pushed away Jin right before his capture. Zuko was unsure if he truly had changed. After all, his most recent choice reflected his old impulsive attitude. He should have gone with Jin, should have run, but despite the chance, he didn’t take. Why was he so stupid to think that Azula would fight him? Was Katara right? Would he jump at the chance of capturing the Avatar if he had it?

“You’re a terrible person! You know that?” Katara continued with her verbal assault, taking his silence as an offence. If there had been water nearby, she would have sent it his way. “Always following us! Hunting the Avatar! Trying to capture the world’s last hope for peace! But do you care? You’re the Fire Lord’s son. Spreading war and violence and hatred is in your blood!”

“You don’t know what you’re talking about!” Zuko finally objected, trying to keep his voice from cracking from emotion. “ I—”

Katara cut him off, not wanting to hear it. “I don’t? How dare you! You have no idea what this war has put me through!” Emotionally exhausted, Katara sat down. “Me personally,” she added, her voice wavering. She rubbed the medallion of the necklace around her neck and began to cry. “The Fire Nation took my mother away from me.”

“I’m sorry,” apologized Zuko as he turned to fully face her. “That’s something we have in common. I lost my mother too.”

Katara stared at him in shock for a moment. She never thought that he could have suffered at the hands of the Fire Nation too. She never even thought that maybe he was victim of this war too. “I’m sorry I yelled at you before.”

“I deserved it. I know you don’t want to believe it, but I have changed.” Zuko stood up to pace, frustrated once again at his shortcomings. He had told Jin that same thing, but as soon as he saw Azula, he fixated once again on his honor—he ignored Jin’s plead over his own selfish goals. “I want to be…good. I want to live in peace.” Zuko couldn’t bring himself to admit that he had actually begun to want to live in Ba Sing Se and serve tea and be with Jin.

Katara didn’t know what to say. For the first time, Zuko felt human, not some evil villain chasing her and her friends. She wiped away her tears, confessing, “It’s just that for so long now, whenever I would imagine the face of the enemy, it was your face.”

“My face?” He raised a hand to touch his scar. Often, he thought about that day that it happened, thinking of what he could have done differently. He was ashamed of it, the first mark of his failures. “I see.”

“No, no, that’s—that’s not what I mean,” clarified Katara as she got up to approach him.

“It’s okay. I used to think this scar marked me. The mark of the banished prince cursed to chase the Avatar forever. But lately I’ve realized I’ve found something here in Ba Sing Se that I don’t want to lose. I’m free to determine my own destiny, even if I’ll never be free of my mark,” Zuko admitted with a small smile as he thought about Jin and the life could build together if they got out of this mess. He wanted nothing more than to get back to her.

“Maybe you could be free of it.” Katara saw something in Zuko that she hadn’t before—the potential for good.

“What?”

“I have healing abilities,” Katara offered gently.

Zuko shook his head. “It’s a scar, it can’t be healed.”

Holding up a small intricate vial, she explained, “This is water from the Spirit Oasis at the North Pole, so I’ve been saving it for something special.” Moving closer to Zuko, she continued, “I don’t know if it would work but…” Katara gently place one hand on his scar as he closed his eyes. 

Another moment later, they heard rock crumbling to the left of them and they stepped apart. Aang, Iroh, and Jin appeared from behind the rocks. Both Aang and Jin were surprised to find Zuko and Katara so close, but were too relieved to care much. As Katara rushed to hug Aang so too did Jin with Zuko. For a moment Jin felt a sharp ting of jealously of her boyfriend standing so close to another girl, but quickly she was over that feeling, glad to see him alive and well. She had worried that Azula might have hurt him during their fight.

“Zuko!” Jin cried with relief as they embraced. Her anger faded as soon as she saw him, simply comforted that he was alright. She had been worrying that Azula had beaten him senseless. “Don’t you every pull a stunt like that again!” Zuko didn’t get the chance to argue because Jin pulled him in for a kiss, not caring that there were others around watching. She did her best to try to forgive him about his earlier choice, but she was determined that they were going to have a long conversation after this was over.

Katara and Aang were shocked to watch Zuko be romantic with another person, though they kept that to themselves. Just who was this girl?

“I’m sorry for leaving you,” Zuko apologized after they separated. “Thank you for coming back to save me, but I don’t understand though. What are you doing with the Avatar?” He pointed to Aang, trying not to get angry that she had been working with him.

“Saving you, that’s what,” Aang retorted before Jin could explain.

Zuko growled and took a confrontational step in Aang’s direction. Jin put her hand on his chest to stop him while Iroh blocked his view of the Avatar, silently telling him to calm down. Now was not the time to turn on their new allies.

“Zuko, it’s time we talked,” Iroh began before turning to Aang and Katara, adding, “Go help your other friends. We’ll catch up with you.”

The two hurried away in search of their friends, hoping they weren’t too late to save the Earth Kingdom.

“Why, Uncle?” Zuko asked, his tone revealing his anguish. He thought he had gotten over his quest for the Avatar but that was clearly not the case. “Why are you with the Avatar?”

“You’re not the man you used to be, Zuko.” Iroh glanced to Jin, who nodded in agreement. “You are stronger and wiser and freer than you have ever been,” Iroh explained. “And now you have come to the crossroads of your destiny. It’s time for you to choose. It’s time for you to choose good.”

As Zuko contemplated his uncle’s words, crystals began to grow around Iroh and Jin. Jin reacted faster than Iroh, jumping into the air and using airbending to keep herself suspend for a few moments before gliding down a few feet away. In the meantime, the crystals grew to encase Iroh, preventing him from moving. Both Zuko and Jin assumed fighting stances in preparation of the upcoming fight. Jin suspected that the Dai Li agents would appear quickly after they broken into the prison.

Azula, alongside two Dai Li agents, slide down from the side of the catacomb towards them. “I expected this kind of treachery from Uncle,” Azula commented condescendingly as she approached. She hid her disappointment that the Avatar was not with them, but she knew she could get to him soon enough. “But Zuko, Prince Zuko, you’re a lot of things, but you’re not a traitor, are you?”

“Release him immediately,” demanded Zuko, taking an aggressive step forward towards his sister. He was done with her games. He would win this time.

“It’s not too later for you, Zuko. You can still redeem yourself.”

Jin did not have any patience for a fourteen’s attempt at a mind game. She had let her trick Zuko once today. “He said release Iroh immediately.” She brandished her gilder at the younger girl, figuring she could probably take her even with her lack of formal training.

Azula laughed. “Who are you to make such demands?”

Jin smirked and laughed herself, pissed off by Azula’s attitude, before softening her expression as she realized how pitiful Azula really was. It occurred to Jin that Azula was just as damaged as Zuko, manipulated by the Fire Nation’s war propaganda and a horrible father. “You think you’re so mature, don’t you? You don’t even realize it yourself. Your father is abusing you, this war, this madness, you think this is what will bring you happiness. Don’t even kid yourself.”

Azula’s eyes widened in shock for a split second before narrowing into a glare. No one had talked her like that. “How dare you! I am Princess Azula, heir to the Fire Nation. And you are some lowly Earth King peasant,” she spat, a flame appearing in her hands. She shot a fireball directly at Jin. 

Jin didn’t flinch as the fire rushed toward her, creating an air shield that forced the fire off to the side. “Actually, I’m an Air Nomad. Your evil grandfather didn’t succeed in killing of us,” Jin retorted, knowing full well that she was only adding fuel to the fire—literally. She sent a quick blast of air that pushed back Azula and the Dai Li agents back away from them and stepped forward aggressively. She didn’t have the patience or serenity of a true Air Nomad, but who’s fault was that? She would fight now and find inner peace later.

Behind her, Iroh pleaded with Zuko, “The kind of redemption she offers is not for you.”

Hearing her uncle speak, Azula shifted her attention back to her uncle when she realized that Jin had been simply distracting her so that Iroh could talk more sense into Zuko. “Why don’t you let him decide, Uncle?” Facing her brother instead of Jin, she continued, “I need you, Zuko. I’ve plotted every move of this day”—she clenched her fist and smirked— “This glorious day in the Fire Nation history and the only way we win is together. At the end of this day, you will have your honor back. You will have father’s love. You will have everything you want.”

Zuko took a half-step back, his fighting stance faltering. Jin noticed how he still reacted negatively whenever his ‘honor’ was involved. _Will it always be about honor? What about love?_ Jin wondered, trying to not let her fears cross her expression. Jin steeled her resolve. She would lose to Azula if she let the little snake continue speaking.

Jin was about to interject when Iroh pled, “Zuko, I am begging you. Look into your heart and see what it is that you truly want.”

“You are free to choose,” Azula said, gesturing to the two Dai Li agents to leave and follow after the Avatar who had to be the catacombs further in. Azula gave Zuko one last look before leaving to find Aang and Katara. Her plan was working, she could feel it. Her brother would cave to her demands. She would have him, the Avatar, and that new airbender girl all in her clutches by the day’s end.

“Zuko!” Jin practically yelled to get his attention from his thoughts. She dropped her gilder and grabbed a hold of both of his hands and forced him to look at her. Zuko had already made one bad choice today. She couldn’t bear it if he made another. “Don’t listen to Azula! Please. You already have your honor. And you have my love. What else do you want?” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I just want to say thanks to everyone who's read and supported this fic! It's my first time posting in a long time and my first time posting here on AO3. There's one more chapter after this that pertains to the first arc (the Ba Sing Se arc) in this fic. I have plans for quite a long fic (with a potential sequel in mind) so bear with me as I work out all the details! Thanks again for all the hits, kudos, and comments. I really appreciate it.


	14. the Choice is Yours

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry about the delay in update (and that it's kind of short)! College kind of started kicking my ass again and I didn't manage my time very wisely. I'll try to not take to long to update.

Further down in the catacombs, Azula quickly caught up with Katara and Aang. During her chase, her focus had shifted from manipulating her brother to subduing the Avatar—through any means necessary. Today was going to be perfect. She will have accomplished what was long thought impossible in one day.

Attacking from behind, she shot an intense blast of blue fire at the pair. Sensing her approach, Aang managed to block Azula’s attack using earth bending to create a barrier, but the impact of the fire against stone sent him reeling a few steps back. Azula was no joke. She was a serious threat, even more so than many Dai Li agents approaching.

Katara responded to Azula’s attach with one of her own, sending a wave of water crashing toward the princess. Azula vaporized the attack with a quick blast of fire. The mist provided Azula cover, under which she used to jump onto a few nearby crystals and launch two more volleys of blue flame at them.

Together, Katara and Aang used waterbending to block the blast. Azula jumped from the crystals onto an earth pillar, attempting to gain higher ground, but Aang quickly caused the earth to crumble. Azula jumped and landed between Katara and Aang, standing both on the offensives and defensive. The three of them looked at each, each one hesitant to make the next move. As confident as she was, Azula did not want to fight a two on one battle.

From seemingly nowhere, an orange blast of fire landed in the middle of the standoff. Zuko had caught up with his sister and his first thought when he saw her and the Avatar was to launch an attack. Jin was right behind him, still very upset. It didn’t help that Zuko had ran after his sister without explaining himself. Zuko looked from Azula to Aang and Katara, still deciding who to attack. Azula held her glare against her brother, hoping she had manipulated him enough to do what she wanted. Zuko slowly shifted his stance towards Aang.

Aang gasped when he realized that Zuko was going to attack him. He thought that Zuko had finally changed for the better. Zuko sent a quick, furious burst of flame at Aang. Aang dodged by using airbending to jump far away from the blast. Azula grinned, seeing her plan falling even more so into place, and turned towards Katara to duel her.

Jin stood frozen, her heart dropping to her stomach. She felt sick, a part of her feeling like she was going to throw up. She couldn’t believe what she had just witnessed. Zuko, her love, had turned on her, had chosen Azula over her. He attacked the Avatar, even after he said he had changed. _Had everything been an act? Did he ever truly love me?_ Jin took a deep breath and forced herself to calm down as best as possible. It wouldn’t do anyone any good if she broke down crying.

Watching Aang fight back against Zuko forced her out of her daze. He shouldn’t be the one to fight Zuko. Summing a gust of wind, she sent it at Zuko’s back, hard enough that he stumbled forward and almost faceplanted. In the wake of his betrayal, her grief made her angry. He made his choice and she did not have to like it.

“What are you doing?” he yelled, turning on her irately.

“Standing on the right side of history,” Jin shouted back, brandishing her glider. She stood firm on the defensive

“You can airbend?” interjected Aang, both surprised and elated in the discovery. He wanted to jump for joy at the sight of another airbender, but they were currently in the middle of fight so his elation would have to wait.

“Yes, but we can discuss that later. Right now, I have to slap some sense into Zuko.”

Zuko didn’t want to fight Jin, but right now, she was standing in the way of the Avatar, of his honor. Jin knew that Zuko would hold back and she knew that she would have to take advantage of that. “If you want Aang, you will have to fight me first.” Jin defiantly met Zuko’s gaze. She didn’t mince her next words, “I thought you had changed! I guess I was wrong.”

“I have changed.” Zuko fired a blast toward her, which she deflected by spinning her glider rapidly. The two began to trade shots with each, circling around the cavern.

As Zuko and Jin fought, Aang realized that he would need the Avatar state to win this battle. They were outnumbered between Zuko, Azula, and the Dai Li. He prepared to let go of Katara and master the Avatar state. Before he could finish mastering it, Azula struck him in the back with a blast of lighting. Aang fell limp towards the ground and Katara rushed to catch him.

Holding Aang’s lifeless body, Katara faced the situation at hand. Immediately, Jin jumped in front of Katara, ready to engage both Zuko and Azula and any Dai Li agent that would approach them. She would go down fighting.

As the Fire Nation siblings prepared to attack, a blast of fire blocked their view. Iroh, the source of the blast, leaped down from the wall of the cave and stood next to Jin to shield Aang and Katara.

“You’ve got to get out of here! I’ll hold them off as long as I can,” Iroh ordered, firing off more bursts of fire at Zuko and Azula.

Katara nodded, picked up Aang, and walked slowly backward towards the waterfall at the rear of the cave. Using waterbending, she lifted herself and Aang up its path and away from the fight.

“You too, Jin!” Iroh commanded. “Go!”

Jin wanted to protest, but she knew Iroh was right. She would never win this fight. She followed after Katara. Using her glider, she flew up the waterfall. She watched as Iroh fought long enough for them to escape before submitting.

Iroh did not struggle when the Dai Li used earthbending to encase him in crystals once again. Azula triumphantly smiled at the scene in front of her. Zuko could only bear to look at his uncle for a moment before turning away ashamed.

Later on, in the throne room of the Earth Kingdom, Azula relished her victory from the throne that she had commandeered. “We’ve done it, Zuko. It’s taken a hundred years, but the Fire Nation has conquered Ba Sing Se.”

Zuko did not share her sense of accomplishment. “I betrayed Uncle…Jin.” He looked forlorn. He felt hollow. If this was victory, he was not sure if he liked it. 

“No, they betrayed you.” Standing up from the throne, Azula approached her brother. “Zuko, when you return home, Father will welcome you as a war hero.”

“But I don’t have the Avatar,” contested Zuko. “What if Father doesn’t restore my honor?” Zuko clenched and unclenched his fist, anxiety playing tricks with his mind. He wanted to go back to yesterday, to before all of this, back to the tea shop.

“He doesn’t need to, Zuko,” Azula cooed, knowing full well that Zuko would be easily manipulated in his current state. She put a hand on his shoulder. “Today, you restored your own honor.”

Zuko looked away, ever more uncertain of himself. _What did I just do?_ A part of him listened to Azula and believed her words. He had his honor back. He made the right choice…right?

Meanwhile, Jin had followed Katara and helped her find the rest of the gang. Sokka was initially hesitant about having her join but they did not have time to argue. Quickly, they got onto Appa and made haste with their escape from the city. Katara managed to heal Aang in time, but he was in no shape to save anyone. Jin felt numb. Her heart was broken. It would be a long way for peace. Kuei, the newly disposed Earth King, looked out at his city, commenting sadly, “The Earth Kingdom has fallen.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the end of the first arc of this fic! There's two more arcs to go for the main series. I might continue past the series into the comics, but we'll see. Thank you again for all your support!


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